Creating Evergreen Brick Works: A Story of Sustainability, Resilience and Transformation
Seana Irvine '86
Event Details
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Wednesday, March 11, 2020
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
City: Peterborough
Building: Bata Library Film Theatre
Room: 103
Cost: Free
This presentation highlights how Evergreen, an enterprising not-for-profit organization, transformed an iconic, derelict factory into a model of innovation and urban sustainability. For 100 years, Toronto's Don Valley Brick Works produced the bricks that built Toronto's skyline, molding nature to build the city of the past. In the 1980s the factory was shuttered and the 16 buildings abandoned and fell into disrepair. However, some people saw the amazing potential of the site: it could be a showcase for the cities of the future. From green design to major flooding, experiential programs, and advancing new models of social enterprise, multi-stakeholder collaboration and policy innovation, Evergreen Brick Works now attracts over 500,000 visitors every year. It is a living lab and a demonstration from the seemingly impossible to the possible.
For over 25 years, Seana Irvine has brought diverse stakeholders together to strategize and create solutions for making stronger, more resilient communities. She is a founding team member behind the $55 M transformation of Toronto’s Don Valley Brick Works. Her recent portfolios included leading the redevelopment of the 53,000 sq. ft. former kiln building into the Future Cities Centre, among Canada’s first carbon neutral buildings, and leading the collaborative design and strategy development to create Toronto’s largest urban park, the Don River Valley Park.
Contact Info
Babin Joy - Convocation and Events Assistant